Improvement in piano-fortes



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mesme-Ww atmt l DAVID T. Panic, or NEW YORKN. Y.

Letters Patent No. 87,509, dated March 2, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-FORTES.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID 11. PEER, of the oit-y, county, and State of N ew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Fortes; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable those skilled in the art to make and `use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which drawing- A Figure l represent-s a longitudinal vertical section of this invention. l

Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of an additional hinged case on the top of the mailfcase of a piano-torte, said additional ease being` provided with a secondary sounding-board, and a series of strings, correspondingr in tune to the ordinary strings oi' the piano-forte, in such a manner, tl1at,when the. addi: tional hinged case is turned down, the volume of the tone of the piano-forte is materially increased, and when the additional hinged case is turned back, the secondary' sounding-board with its series oi' strings is thrown ont of operation, and the eiect of the instrument is the same as that of an ordinary piano-forte, when the top is raised.

A represents the case of a piano-forte, which is constructed in the ordinary manner, and which is pro vided with a sounding-board, B, and with a metalframe, C, as usual.

On the top ofl the case A is' secured an additional ease, D, which is connected to the main case by a hinge-joint, a, (see fig. 2,) so that it can be turned down to the position shown in the drawing, or that it can be opened the same as the top of an ordinary piano-forte.

The additional case D may be provided with an arched top, as shown in the drawing, or it may be made in any desirable form or shape; andsaid ease is provided with a secondary sounding-board, E, and with a secondary metal frame, E, and it is intended to contain asecondary series of strings corresponding in tune to the strings of 'the piano-forte.

If the additional case D is turned down to the position shown in the drawing, and the ordinary strings are struck by the hammers, their vibration is communicated to the corresponding strings in the additional case, and the volume of the tone is materially increased; and if it is desired to produce the effect of an ordinary piano-forte, the additional case D is turned back, and thereby'Y the additional strings contained in this case are thrown out of action.

By the additional easeD, a novel appearance is given to my pianoffortes, and an instrument is obtained, capable of producing-different effects, which cannot be accomplished by instruments of the ordinary construction.

I do not claim broadly, as new, the arrangement of a secondary soumling-board, such havingbeen applied below the ordinary sounding-board, as described in the patents oi' John G. Kunze, December 20,1859, and of Anthony Gunther, August 15, 1865; but having thus described my invention,

What 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The additional case D, hinged to the top of the main case A, of a piano-forte, and provided with a secondary sounding-board, E, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth. v

` DAVID T. BEEK. Witnesses:

W. HAUFF,

E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

